Service: Volunteering at Seattle Children's Hospital

A year ago, I went to a Premed advising session and the adviser said "For those of you who want to become Pediatricians, make sure that you don't make the mistake of just volunteering with healthy kids. It's good to have experience with kids in general, but Med Schools really want to see that you have experience working with sick kids too." That pretty much described my situation spot on. In my first two years of college, I had worked with kids through Jumpstart and Pipeline, but never children in a clinical setting. Since Seattle Children's was so close, I decided to apply there. In June 2014, I received an entry code to access the application that would open at the end of September. After waiting so many months, I eagerly opened up the website the minute the applications were stated to be open for access, and found that in less than a minute, all the applications had been taken. I was significantly disappointed, but what could I do? I waited until the next set of applications would open, in February 2015. I lucked out this time (even though I had to open the website on multiple computers to ensure that I got an application on at least one of them), filled out my application, was called in for an interview shortly, and before I knew it, I was a newly minted Child Life Volunteer.

I absolutely love my job in the Child Life Department. I'm required to maintain the upkeep of the child playroom, make toy deliveries, and sanitize toys, but I'm essentially there to brighten up the day of the children by playing them. Since I'm a kid at heart, this is probably the greatest job I could ever have. It's so nice to finish off a stressful week at school by heading over to Seattle Children's on a Friday afternoon and just play with kids. And because the position is so low-key in terms of duties or responsibilities, it gives me the chance to really observe what it means to be a pediatric patient.

When I tell people that I want to be a Pediatrician because I love working with kids, their response is often "Well then you probably shouldn't be a Pediatrician". For many, it's extremely difficult to see kids in pain and suffering from debilitating disorders. On the very first day, I had to hold an infant that couldn't have been more than a year old who had already been diagnosed with brain cancer. I remember seeing the suturing on her crown and just shaking my head in sympathy. That such young children should be subjected to such suffering is a brutal injustice, but that's why it's so important that people like me - who love working with children and can't bear to see them suffer - are here to do something about it. Because me not standing the sight of children in pain doesn't translate to me turning around to not have to see it, but instead me asking what I can do to make the pain go away. After sitting with some of these kids for a couple of hours, playing with them, joking with them, and bring a smile to their faces, I've reaffirmed my conviction to become a pediatrician. Seeing children in pain does not faze me in the slightest, but what's important is that this isn't due to indifference. Behind my bubble of professionalism is a deep desire to see the children recover, and I think that is what will make me an effective provider of care to these children.

What impresses me on a daily basis, though, is how strong these children are. I have seen such courage and hope in each and every child, a far cry from the image of a child languishing in despair that I think is often incorrectly assumed. I constantly tell myself, "If I was in their position, I don't know that I could be so positive". After what some of these children have been through, after what some of them go through on a daily basis, to see their faces light up with joy when I enter the room with toys is perhaps one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen: the enduring spirit of humanity, all that is good encapsulated in those faces. I've also been impressed by how mature these kids are. They really take their conditions in stride. The matter of fact way some of these kids, not even teenagers yet, have informed me that I need to step out so they can have their dressings changed or so they can receive medication, has evidenced a maturity well beyond their years (in fact, a maturity that even older people do not possess). This highlights the fact that these children cannot be spoken down to. They understand almost everything, and they must be treated with as much respect and integrity as their adult counterparts. When I've seen the wonderful physicians at Children's speak to their patients, there is not a whiff of condescension. Some of the physicians refer to their patients as buddies, and it's not a joke: the bond they have formed with those kids by establishing respect is significant.

I've learned a lot in my time at Seattle Children's. As I continue to work there for the next year, I hope to learn even more about the forms in which pediatric care takes, and the temperamental approach that is required to ensure the best emotional outcomes for the children. I also want to see how providers interact with the parents, because I've heard that that is the hardest part about the profession.

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